


The Photograph

by Joe_Reaves



Category: Primeval
Genre: Alternate Timeline, Angst, Established Relationship, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-10
Updated: 2010-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-08 20:44:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/79360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joe_Reaves/pseuds/Joe_Reaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick finds a photograph and wonders what it means.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Photograph

It wasn't until he got home that he realised he had the wrong wallet. He pulled it out to pay for the take out and suddenly realised it was Stephen's. He paid the delivery guy anyway, figuring he could pay Stephen back when they traded wallets, and that was when he noticed the picture.

There were a few people he might have expected Stephen to have a picture of in his wallet ... Allison, the whole team maybe, not Helen although he might have had at one time, but not him. He pulled it out to get a better look and noticed it was dog-eared, as if it had been slid in and out many times before. Someone had taken it back when they had their invasion of dodos, before they'd realised they were infected with parasites and dangerous. He was crouched in an office with three of them around him, totally fearless and playful, and he was petting one of them. He looked totally relaxed, an open, happy smile on his face, and he couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory. He thought all the animals they encountered were beautiful but you couldn't really make friends with most of them, not unless you were feeling suicidal. The dodos though had been harmless, as far as they knew, and so curious about everything. If he could have got away with it he might have tried to take one home, but he rather thought someone might notice if he'd slipped one into his backpack, and as it turned out he was lucky he hadn't.

He wouldn't mind a copy of the picture himself if he could find out who had taken it. A reminder of happier times for the next time he nearly got eaten or trampled. But that didn't explain why Stephen would have it in his wallet or why he looked at it so often. The only picture he had in his wallet was one of Claudia and him that he'd got Abby to take just after they'd let the Pteradon go. He'd been very fond of Claudia. If they'd had longer it might even have become love, but they hadn't so 'fond' was as far as he could go in his feelings for her. Objectively he would say Stephen must care about him; they'd been friends for a long time. But you don't put a picture of a friend in your wallet.

He looked at the bag of take out and made a decision. Picking up the phone he called Stephen. There was only one way to find out about the picture and that was to ask. When Stephen answered the phone he sounded distant, distracted, as if he was in the middle of something.

"Am I interrupting something?" Nick asked carefully.

"What? No? Is there another anomaly?" Stephen said tiredly.

"No, no, nothing like that. No more slime today, I promise," he said with a grin. "Are you busy?"

"Not really. Did you need something?" he asked.

"To come over and get my wallet back?" Nick said.

"Oh, that. Yeah, I just realised it wasn't mine," Stephen said, sounding tired again.

"I bought Indian, well technically you did," Nick joked. "More than enough for two ..."

There was a pause on the other end and Nick wondered if he'd gone too far. He and Stephen hadn't exactly been on the best of terms since the confrontation with Helen, maybe inviting himself over for dinner wasn't something he could do any more. Before her spiteful revelation he wouldn't have even bothered calling, just turned up with the food, but now he wasn't so sure of his welcome.

"Yeah, yeah, sure come over," Stephen said, sounding a bit brighter. "We can watch the football or something. Highlights of the Leeds game, well lowlights," he grumbled.

Nick chuckled. "I was right when I told Connor some things never change. You still don't support a decent team. I'll be over in ten minutes."

"At least it's not St Mirren." Stephen hung up without saying goodbye and Nick shook his head fondly, he'd done that in his time line too whenever he wanted to get the last word.

He looked at the photo again and tapped it thoughtfully. Maybe the picture could help them repair things. He'd never been able to hold a grudge where Stephen was concerned and the picture made him think Stephen missed having him around as much as he missed him.

\-----

An hour earlier

Stephen dropped his keys and his wallet in the dish by the door, pausing a second and then picking the wallet up again. This wasn't his. A quick check inside showed he was right, it was Nick's. Curiosity made him examine the contents, wanting to see if there were any clues about the Nick who had walked out of the anomaly, because he wasn't the same Nick who had walked into it. Everything in it was just as he expected it though, except ... he looked at the picture in pride of place in the wallet. Nick and a pretty young woman he'd never seen before in his life. The elusive Claudia Brown no doubt.

He sat on the couch, staring at the picture. Nick looked happy. Not as carefree as he did in the picture in Stephen's own wallet, but happy, content. He hadn't looked like that since they came back through the anomaly. He felt another wave of guilt and closed the wallet, dropping it on the table next to him. It wasn't fair. He'd carried the guilt of the affair for eight years, wasn't that punishment enough for a foolish mistake? Why did Helen have to dredge it all up again anyway? She hadn't really expected him to go with her, he knew that. She'd just wanted to hurt Nick. If he was going to stay then she'd make sure he was hurting and alone. And he was – alone. He cared about the rest of the team, that was obvious, but he'd only been really close to one person as far as Stephen knew; him. He was Nick's closest friend, the one he confided in, the one he trusted. Apparently, in Nick's time line there had been Claudia Brown too, but she was gone and thanks to Helen he didn't trust Stephen any more either. She'd managed to isolate him and no matter what he tried, Stephen couldn't break through the invisible wall Nick had built around himself.

He'd liked the wall when he was inside it with Nick, but now he was on the outside looking in he hated it. Hated it because it was there, between them, constantly, and because it kept Nick alone and miserable. He looked over at the wallet again. No wonder Nick had pulled back so far inside himself, he'd been humiliated by his wife, in front of everyone, lost his best friend, watched another close comrade die, and then he'd found the woman he loved no longer existed. He thought about Nick's words in the shopping centre a few days earlier; he'd been right, under the circumstances he was coping pretty damn well.

Dropping his face to his hands, Stephen just sat there for a while. He wondered if Nick even knew he wasn't the only one who'd just lost their best friend and their lover. If Nick had Claudia Brown in his time line, did that mean he hadn't had Stephen? He'd assumed the reason Nick hadn't made any attempt to come over since the anomaly was because he was still furious, that he'd chosen to break their relationship off when he'd learned about Stephen's betrayal, but now ... he wondered. Did Nick even know there was anything to break off and would it make any difference?

The phone rang, startling him out of his thoughts and he picked it up, half expecting it to be some idiot trying to sell him double glazing (which he had) or a conservatory (he was on the fourth floor, if they could build him one he'd buy it) or insulate his roof (he didn't have a roof, there were four more floors of flats above him). Instead it was Nick.

"Uh, hi," he said, mentally smacking himself for sounding like an idiot, but he wasn't prepared for a conversation with Nick right then and there.

"Am I interrupting something?" Nick asked cautiously, although Stephen couldn't imagine what he thought he'd be interrupting.

"What? No? Is there another anomaly?" Stephen asked, not sure he was really up to seeing Nick again so soon and being given the cold shoulder again.

"No, no, nothing like that. No more slime today, I promise," he said. "Are you busy?"

"Not really." Stephen almost held his breath, maybe Nick wanted to come over, try and sort out what they were to each other now. "Did you need something?"

"To come over and get my wallet back?" Nick said.

"Oh, that. Yeah I just realised it wasn't mine," Stephen said. Of course, he just wanted his wallet and his picture of bloody Claudia bloody Brown back. He should have known.

"I bought Indian, well technically you did," Nick joked. "More than enough for two ..."

Stephen didn't know what to say. If he was bringing food he expected to be here for a while. Maybe Nick really did want to patch up their friendship and if he did maybe Stephen would have a chance to ask about his time line, to find out just how close they'd been in it and if there was any hope at all that Nick saw him as more than a friend.

"Yeah, yeah, sure come over," Stephen said, feeling more hopeful. "We can watch the football or something. Highlights of the Leeds game, well lowlights." He tried to sound depressed about his team's complete lack of performance but Nick was coming over to talk about something that wasn't work and even the latest Leeds' defeat couldn't bring him down.

Nick chuckled and Stephen felt a familiar shiver run through him at the throaty sound. "I was right when I told Connor some things never change. You still don't support a decent team. I'll be over in ten minutes."

"At least it's not St Mirren." Stephen didn't care that Nick was insulting his team, that was what they did, well what he remembered them doing. Nick would make derogatory comments about Leeds and he'd return the favour about St Mirren and then they'd watch the games together anyway and he found himself shouting at the referee for penalising St Mirren almost as often as Nick did, because St Mirren winning made Nick happy and Stephen liked him happy.

He looked around the flat, wondering if he needed to tidy up, but it was pretty good anyway and it wasn't as if Nick's place was the pinnacle of neatness; he didn't want him to think he was trying too hard. He took a deep breath. Now that Nick was actually on his way he felt trapped, scared, what if Nick didn't like men in his time line? What if he did but he didn't like Stephen? What if they had had a relationship in Nick's memory and he was deliberately ignoring Stephen now? He took another deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. Okay, think positive and stop panicking, this isn't going to help. Then the doorbell rang and he jumped so hard he banged his elbow on the counter. Cursing softly he went to let Nick in, wondering if he still had the key Stephen had given him and just wasn't choosing to use it or if he'd never had one in his time line.

"Hi," he said inanely. "Um, come in. Put it on the table, I'll find some cutlery."

Nick smiled warmly and nodded and Stephen relaxed a bit. Whatever Nick wanted their relationship to be like he apparently wanted more than the strained non-friendship they'd had over the last few days. He could settle for that if he had to. It had been years before their friendship had become more, he was used to being in love with Nick and him not feeling the same, he knew how to do that. He didn't know how to do whatever it was they'd been doing since the anomaly.

Nick dumped the bag on the table. "If I'd known I was going to come over I'd have ordered poppadoms for you," he said. "But I only realised I had your wallet when I went to pay for it. I owe you £20 by the way."

"Forget about it," Stephen said. He held out Nick's wallet. "I saw the picture. Is that Claudia Brown?" he asked

"Yeah," Nick said. "After the pteradon. She stonewalled Lester so we could let it go back instead of shooting it, didn't even tell him what we were doing till after we'd done it. Considering she'd spent most of the day with a concussion and temporary blindness and then been nearly killed by the real predators and then nearly blown up it was very kind of her to do it." He paused. "What happened in this time line?"

Stephen looked thoughtful. "We had a stand up fight with him about it. He wanted Ryan's men to shoot it. While we were yelling at him, Abby and Connor let it go. I didn't think it was going to go through the anomaly at first but it must have had some kind of homing instinct. It swung around over the golf course and headed straight for home. It was beautiful. I thought birds of prey were graceful but I've never seen anything like the pteradon." He grinned. "Lester about had a nervous breakdown on the spot, but there was nothing he could do about it once it was gone."

Nick chuckled. "I wish I could have seen his face. Claudia just kept dodging his calls. He was still in the Home Office when we let it go."

Stephen looked down and tried to think of something to say that didn't sound like he was fourteen. "Claudia ... she sounds special and you have her picture in your wallet. Do you ... were you in love with her?" He looked up, almost scared to know the answer, but wanting to see the truth, whatever it was, in Nick's face as he spoke.

He shook his head sadly. "I might have been if I'd had more time. She was an incredible woman. Strong, loyal, but gentle and sweet too. Nothing like Helen."

He pulled Stephen's wallet out of his pocket. "I saw the picture in yours. That was a good day. I didn't know anyone had taken photos." He looked at Stephen searchingly. "Why are you carrying it around in your wallet?"

Stephen leaned back against the wall, wrapping one arm across his waist almost protectively. "Are you sure you really want to know the answer to that?" he asked.

Nick nodded. "Tell me."

Taking a deep breath Stephen looked at a point just over Nick's left shoulder. "Before you stepped through the anomaly with Helen ... you and I were lovers. We have been for about eighteen months. Since just before Connor walked into your office with that newspaper story."

This was what Nick had begun to suspect on the drive over here, but to hear it confirmed left him speechless for a moment. How do you deal with the fact that you apparently 'forgot' an eighteen-month relationship? He looked at Stephen, standing there, not quite looking at him, his body as tense as he'd ever seen him and thought about what the last week must have felt like to him.

"You said we were lovers. Were we..." He hesitated. "I can't imagine it was just sex between us," he said finally.

Stephen looked up and smiled sadly at him. "It wasn't, well not on my part. I was never sure how you felt. We hadn't been together long when the first anomaly appeared and it's hard enough competing with the dead wife, let alone the possibly still out there somewhere wife." He laughed harshly. "And now I'm trying to compete with someone who doesn't exist any more outside your head."

"I'm sorry," Nick said. "I had no idea. What you must have thought with the way I've been treating you over the last few days ..."

Stephen shrugged. "I only realised tonight you probably didn't even know we'd been together in the first place. I figured I deserved it after what Helen told you. I should never have let her use me to get at you. I should have been smart enough not to fall for her in the first place, but at the very least I should have told you the truth. At first I didn't want to make things any harder for you when she'd vanished and then I just didn't want to lose you."

Nick watched him and felt his chest tighten at the almost forlorn picture he made standing there with his arm wrapped around himself protectively. "It was a shock. I already knew I'd moved on when I saw her back in the past, maybe in your time line I'd realised that earlier. I don't know. I didn't think she could hurt me any more and then she was there, spouting her venom, and even knowing that back then we weren't friends, it hurt that you'd betrayed me like that. It hurt that you let me find out from Helen instead of telling me yourself." He took a deep breath. "I understand why you didn't Stephen. I forgive you."

Stephen closed his eyes, his body shaking as Nick said the words he'd wanted to hear for almost nine years. Then he looked up again and forced a smile. "We should eat. It's getting cold."

Nick nodded, watching Stephen sadly. He'd done this to him and even though he had no memory of their relationship, he felt guilty. But he wasn't going to jump into some life changing decision because he felt bad. "Let's eat in front of the TV," he said. "I haven't had a chance to watch Leeds lose for a while."

"They haven't lost for a while," Stephen said in a superior tone. "That must be another change in the time line."

"Really?" Nick said, pausing and tilting his head as he thought about it.

"No, but next time you change history if you want to give us a keeper who can keep hold of the ball that would be nice," Stephen teased, trying to act normally and not like he was dreading the idea of sitting on the couch, next to Nick, without being able to reach out and touch like he normally did.

 

"I'll keep it in mind," Nick said neutrally, dropping down onto the couch and opening one of the cartons of curry. "Put the football on and I'll try and dredge up some sympathy when they lose."

"Considering St Mirran's recent form a little empathy shouldn't be too hard to come by," Stephen said.

They watched the football in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Stephen kept glancing over at Nick, wanting to lean against him or wrap an arm around him like they usually did when they watched, but not daring to. Apparently that was Claudia Brown's role now. As for Nick he was thinking about Stephen. He wanted to undo some of the damage he'd inadvertently done to Stephen, but he didn't know how. Rushing into a relationship with him without thinking it through could just end up hurting him more in the long term. But what if he wasn't rushing into it? They'd always been close. He liked Stephen, cared for him a lot, and despite Helen's revelation he trusted him. He'd been attracted to men before, although he'd never acted on it, so he wasn't about to have a sudden crisis over his sexual identity. So it just boiled down to two things – was he attracted to Stephen and could he eventually fall in love with him?

He turned slightly to look at him. The first one of those was easy. He'd never let himself think about Stephen that way before but he was a very attractive man and with an easy, casual sensuality to him that was very, very sexy. As he looked at him he felt the familiar warmth of arousal in the bottom of his stomach. Oh yes, making love with Stephen wouldn't be a hardship. The other was harder, but who really knew when they started a relationship if it would lead to love? He was sure he could be happy with him, but he didn't know if he would fall in love with him, he thought he probably could though.

Stephen shifted restlessly under Nick's scrutiny. "Look, Nick, I'm sorry if what I told you made you uncomfortable."

"It didn't," Nick said, putting the remains of his dinner down and turning more towards him.

"Then why are you staring at me?" Stephen said, wriggling again as Nick continued to watch him.

"I was thinking," Nick said. "About whether I want to kiss you."

Stephen couldn't help the smile that came to his lips or stop the slight shiver at the words, but he didn't want Nick making himself uncomfortable just to fit Stephen's memories of how he'd been. "You don't have to do anything, Nick. I don't want you trying to change to fit how I remember you. I just want to get to know the new you."

Nick nodded and then reached out to hook one hand behind Stephen's neck. "Well, the new me would like to kiss you," he insisted. "I'll admit I hadn't thought about it before you told me we were lovers, but I care about you and I want to see what happens between us. I can't say it will be the same as you remember, but no one knows how things will work out when they start a relationship."

"Have you ever ...? I mean, I'm pretty sure my Nick had had experience with a man before," Stephen said. "Have you even looked at another man like this before?"

Nick shrugged. "I've looked. I've never done anything about it. Never really had the opportunity."

Stephen nodded nervously. "If you decide this isn't you, I won't push you, Nick. I'd rather go back to just being friends than have you feeling you have to do this."

"I know," Nick said. "Stephen, we might not be quite the same people we each remember, but I don't think either of us has changed that much. I know you wouldn't try and push me into anything and you know I wouldn't go along with it just for you. In the end you'd end up getting hurt more than if I didn't do it."

Stephen sighed and nodded again. "I'm sorry. This is just a little strange for me, especially considering this morning you weren't even talking to me."

"It's strange for you?" Nick teased. "Now can I kiss you or not because you're turning out to be more work than most of the women I dated!"

Laughing Stephen pulled him closer. "Well, we can't have that. I'm right here, what are you waiting for?"

Nick rolled his eyes and leaned closer, brushing his lips against Stephen's tentatively and then with more confidence when he just sat there and waited. When he pressed closer, opening his mouth over Stephen's, the other man finally began to respond, slowly exploring his mouth, one hand coming up to hold him in place. Gradually Stephen took control, showing Nick exactly how much he knew about what he liked and wanted from a partner.

Nick growled into the kiss and pulled him closer, sliding one hand up under his shirt to clutch at the bare skin of his back. Stephen pushed Nick backwards until they were lying on the couch, Stephen half on top of him. Before he could even think about how he felt about being pressed into the couch by someone taller and heavier than himself, Stephen's nimble fingers were undoing his trousers and slipping inside to curl around his cock, which was completely sure how it felt about the situation.

He groaned and threw his head back, arching up into the touch. "Christ, Stephen, please ..."

Stephen smirked and started stroking him slowly, teasing him with every touch. "You look incredible when you're like this," he murmured. "I used to love driving you out of your mind and making you beg."

Nick tried to glare at him but it had been a very long time since someone else had touched him like this and he couldn't even pretend to be anything but turned on. He thrust into Stephen's tight grip and moaned when he leaned forward to kiss him.

Stephen plundered his mouth, kissing him hungrily, eager to show Nick everything they'd shared together and wanting his lover back after the last few days of thinking he'd lost him. He stroked Nick faster, wanting to make him come, just like this, while they were both still dressed.

Nick growled and pulled him closer, returning the kiss with the same amount of fervour. He wanted to come and then he wanted to find out what would make Stephen beg. The idea of having him spread out on the bed, wanting more of him, turned him on even more than Stephen's sure touch on his cock.

"Stephen," he gasped, breaking away from the kiss and arching up into his hand, closing his eyes as he came. When he opened them again a few seconds later Stephen was licking his hand clean and it sent a shudder through him.

He smiled shakily up at him and then pulled him down for a much more leisurely kiss, tasting himself in Stephen's mouth. "I don't think I've gone this far on a couch since I was a randy teenager," he said with a chuckle. "Let's see if we can make it as far as your bed and I'll return the favour."

Stephen laughed and reached for a tissue to clean up what he hadn't already licked off. Kissing him again he got up, holding his hand out to pull Nick to his feet. "I like making you lose control."

Nick laughed. "Why am I not surprised?" He pushed Stephen towards the bedroom. "Just so you know, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing here so you're going to have to show me what you like."

Pulling him close Stephen licked his ear and then whispered, "I like you. But I don't have a problem teaching you anything you want. Not many people get to have two first times with their lover."

Nick shivered at the touch. He turned his head and kissed him hungrily again. "I can't get enough of you." He pushed him onto the bed and straddled his body. They shared another long kiss and then Nick rolled to one side and tugged at Stephen's shirt. "I might not have any experience but I'm pretty certain this works better with less clothes."

Stephen laughed and sat up. "Definitely, but I'm not the only one who's overdressed." He pulled his shirt over his head and then got up. Opening his trousers he hooked his thumbs in the waist band and slid them and his underwear down in one go. Once he was naked he stood there, unashamed, letting Nick look at him.

Nick reached out, a little hesitantly, and stroked his cock, moving more confidently when Stephen bucked forward into his grip. Then he let go again, laughing at the put out look on his face. "I have to get undressed too, remember? I promise I'll get back to that in a minute."

Stephen pouted, leaning down to help Nick get undressed. "I hope you don't mind if I help then, since I have a vested interest in getting you naked as soon as possible." He grinned.

Laughing Nick pulled his shirt off while Stephen worked on his still open trousers and his shoes. When he was naked he looked up at Stephen and smiled a little nervously. "Come back down here so I can get back to what I was doing."

Stephen stretched out next to him, pulling him close for a long kiss and making him groan as their naked bodies touched for the first time. Nick pulled back a little and smiled, pushing him flat on his back. "My turn."

He reached out again and stroked Stephen's cock, feeling very proud of himself when he arched into his touch and groaned.

"You're a natural," Stephen teased hoarsely.

Nick smirked. "I'm a scientist. I like to experiment, try things out for myself..."

"Feel free to try anything you want," Stephen gasped.

"That's what makes you such a good research assistant," he said. "Always willing to try any hypothesis..." He pulled the foreskin all the way back and then slid down Stephen's body, hesitantly leaning forwards and licking the head.

Stephen's hips shot off the bed and Nick had to pull back suddenly. "God, Nick, warn me when you're going to do something like that!"

Nick grinned. "Oh, I like that reaction." He leaned forwards again, this time holding Stephen's hips so he couldn't arch off the bed, and lapped at the moisture leaking from his cock, tilting his head as he considered the taste.

"You don't have to ..." Stephen started but then Nick leaned closer and took the whole head in his mouth, sucking on it gently. "Yes, do that again," he gasped.

Nick chuckled around his mouthful but did as he was told, rubbing his tongue against the vein on the underside. Stephen groaned and tried to get closer to him. Nick was holding him down but he felt the movement and slid a little further down his cock, taking more into his mouth. He worked on sliding up and down, taking what he could into his mouth, and sucking on it until Stephen grabbed him and pulled him off, tugging him back up for another long kiss.

He wrapped an arm around Nick, pressing as close to him as he could and thrust up against him. Nick kissed him hungrily, his hands exploring Stephen's back and ass as the other man arched into his body. Suddenly Stephen pulled away from the kiss and buried his face in Nick's neck, groaning his name as Nick felt a flood of wetness between them. He stroked Stephen's back gently as he slowly stopped shaking, until he pulled back and kissed Nick gently again.

Nick smiled softly as they pulled apart and nuzzled his chin and neck. "You feel good," he murmured quietly.

Stephen urged him up for another kiss before answering him. "So do you. I'm all for scientific enquiry," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "But I think that was almost a little too much too fast, Nick. You don't have to dive right in and try everything on the first day, much as I was enjoying it."

Nick flushed slightly and rested his forehead against Stephen's. "Maybe a little too much, but I was enjoying watching your reactions." He pulled back and made a face. "Okay that's not so much fun. Tissues?"

Stephen laughed and reached for a box on the table, cleaning them both off. "Worth it though," he said.

Nick nodded and smiled back. "You could be right. Of course to be sure we'd need to repeat the experiment and pay special attention to all the variables."

Stephen was shaking with laughter and he hugged Nick tightly again. "That sounds like a long term proposition, Professor."

Nick stroked his cheek and looked at him seriously. "I don't know what the me you remember was like, but unless we were very different ... You're not competing with Helen or Claudia. You could never be second choice Stephen, I promise."

Stephen flushed and looked away before meeting his eyes again and smiling. "Well, unless you are very different that must have been painful, you're perilously close to expressing an emotion there, Nick." He leaned forwards and kissed him again. "I am sorry about Helen. Sorry you found out like that, and sorry it took me two attempts to figure out which Cutter I should be sleeping with."

"She left, we stayed," Nick said. "Like I said in the shopping centre, that's the important thing. She only told me to try and cause trouble between us and I'm not inclined to let her win on this so forget about it." He yawned widely. "Sorry. Apparently you've managed to wear me out. Let's get some sleep and then we can work on this 'experiment' some more tomorrow, providing bloody Lester doesn't interrupt us."

"Well if he does we can always tell him exactly what he's interrupting," Stephen suggested. "That should shut him up and keep him out of our hair for at least a week."

Nick laughed and pulled the duvet over them. "You're never going to grow up, are you Stephen?"

"Not if I can help it," he said with a grin. "I intend to keep you young as well." He paused. "Maybe we should see if this would make Helen vanish as well."

"Don't even joke about it," Nick warned. "I told you she doesn't take rejection well. This, this would just spur her on to a whole new set of plotting and I've had enough of my wife messing with us for the next decade at least."

Stephen pulled him to rest his head on his shoulder. "Okay, no telling Helen then. Now get some sleep. You're going to need it." He winked and Nick laughed again before closing his eyes and drifting off as Stephen turned out the light.


End file.
